Weft feeder for weaving looms



May 10, 1938. R. DEWAS WEFT FEEDER FOR WEAVING LOOMS Filed May s, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l /IVVE/VTO/Q, PAH/Mono 25M/,95 5)/ f m d' L ,9 TTo/eA/EKS.9 4 /2 2d @JO Mal/10,1938. RDEWAS 2,116,620

wEFT FEEDER FOR wEAvING Looms Filed May, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E60/MONOEEN/4S /5 Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATEE;

autres ement orifice Application May s, i935, serial No. 19,576 InFrance June 2, 1934 15 Claims.

The invention relates to thread carrier devices of the kind described inPatent No. 2,072,161 and has for its purpose, particularly when such adevice is intended to be used as a weft-carrier in 5 needle-weavinglooms with continuous supply of weft, to introduce improvements andalterations in the construction of the conveying and pulling membersarranged at the ends of the needles, with a View to enabling them tofunction in a 110 more certain manner, with greater rapidity and at thesame time to be more suitable for use with delicate wets, that is to saywith threads which are fragile by their very nature or by their nnenessor as the result of the irregularities which l5 they may display, etc.

These improvements and modifications of construction are directed to,among other purposes, particularlyz So far as the conveying needle isconcerned,

3.1, the said improvements and inodiications deal with the carrying intoeffect of the combination of the triangular notched covering plate withthe branches of the conveying member which carries the thread clamp andthe cutting blade, which g", combination allows of the employment of asingle member suitably shaped for the construction of the whole of thesaid conveying member, and also with the realization of goo'd threadingand also with the obtaining of a narrow selvedge.

And, so far as the pulling needle is concerned, the said improvementsand modifications deal with the attachment to this needle of a memberwhich prevents gliding or slipping, as well as with the realization, notonly of the catching of ff the thread taking place when the needles meetone another, but also with this catching taking place when the needlesseparate from one another.

n The conveying and pulling members, improved in accordance with theinvention, constitute variants in construction of the thread carrierdevice which is described in the patent mentidned above and aredescribed and shown here- 4.) after, by way of example anddiagrammatically in the attached drawings, in which:-

Figure l. is a plan view from above of one variof construction of aconveying member arranged at the end of a needle of a needle-weavingFigure 2 is an elevation showing the side of the conveying member whichfaces the reed; and

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the right hand end of Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6 are views corresponding to Fig- (Cl. ISS-127) ures 1, 2,3, respectively and show a second variant of construction of a conveyingmember; and

Figure 'l isian elevation showing the side of the said member whichfaces the fell of the fabric.

Figure 8 is a plan View from above of a third variant of construction ofa conveying member.

Figure 9 is an elevation showing the side of the said member, `facingthe reed; and

Figure l is a sectional View taken on the line A-A of the end of thisconveying member.

Figure l1 is a plan View from above of one variant of construction of apulling member, arranged for the catching` of the thread when theneedles advance towards one another.

Figure 12 is an elevation showing the side of the saidmember which facesthe fell of the fabric;

Figure 13 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale of the fork ci' thesaid member; and

Figure 14 is a fragmentary elevationshowing the side of the said pullingmember which faces the reed, the protecting branch sliding along thereed and the springy branch of the clamp not being shown in order tomake the drawings more clear.

Figure l is a plan View from above of a variant of construction ci apulling member arranged for the catching of the thread when the needlesseparate from one another, the protectingbranch which slides alongthereed not being shown.

Figure 16 is an elevation showing the side which faces the fell; and

Figure 17 is an end View toan enlarged scale of the fork of the saidmember.

The first variant in the construction of the conveying member, (Figuresl to 3) is constituted by a piece of sheet steel cut in accordance witha particular template in such a way that, after the bending over of theedges, the middle part of the plate forms the side l facing the reed,and that the `bent over edges 2 and 3 form the branches between whichare xed, in any suitable manner, the springy clamp Il, as well as,beneath the latter, the cutting blade 5 part of which appears in thecleaning opening 6 located in one of the bent over sides of the sheet.

The front part l of the metal sheet is cut out in such a manner that,after bending over` the lateral sides 2 and 3, the edge of the side 3cut on the slant projects beyond the edge of the side 2 to a certainextent, and that the middle part I, reduced in width as shown at la,similarly projects, to a certain extent, beyond the edge of the side 3,in such a way as to form the point or the beak ib of the conveyingmember.

The bent` cverl edge of the side 2, which is rounded at 2a and forms abeak at 2b, is followed by a receding edge 2c; the iront part of theside 2, thus shaped, is bevelled at 2d in such a way that the lower part3a of the edge 3, which is folded back upon itself conceals the beak 2bby its raised edge 3b and thus prevents the floating warp threads fromentering the opening 8 which is left between the two branches thusformed by the sides 2 and 3, cut out and bent over.

The rounding 2a. of the edge 2 joins, at its upper part, with the middlepart I, in which a notch 'l is located, the bottom 1a of which forms thepoint of support for the weft thread 9 which is thus stretched betweenthe said point and the springy clamp 4.

The working of this conveying needle is the same as that of theconveying needle described in the above-mentioned patent.

According to the second variant of construction (Figures 4 to '7) theconveying member is constituted in a similar fashion to that in thefirst variant, with these differences that the middle face I maintainsits entire width and has an opening I0, in which is threaded the weftthread 9, and the bottom la of which forms the point of support for thisthread which is stretched between the said point and the springy clamp4; this slot may be reduced in size to such an extent as to consistmerely of an eyelet.

The front edges of the sides 2 and 3 constitute, below the middle partIa forming a beak at lb, an opening which conducts the weft thread bentween the branches 4 of the springy clamp and n to the cutting blade 5.

The parts which continue these edges, and face the fell, are so shapedas to allow of the mounting of the cutting blade 5 in such a positionthat the said blade passes close to the point of the fell of the cloth.

v'Ihis variant in the form of construction oiers the advantage ofenabling the weft thread to remain threaded permanently, which protectsthe thread, when it is caught at the entry of the shed, from the chokingincidental to its passage in the slot disposed between the branches 2and 3 and this facilitates the use of certain delicate threads.

Further, the position of the cutting blade 5 offers, when the needlesaccompany, during its movement, the slay of the loom, especially whenthe said slay is put into action by the usual crank, the advantage thatit is possible to obtain a very narrow selvedge, this arrangement beingapplicable to the other variants including the form of constructiondescribed in the above-mentioned patent.

In the case of these forms of construction, it is preferable that theweft thread should be stretched tightly between the point of support andthe point of the fell of the cloth, at the moment of the catching of thethread by the conveying member.

For this purpose a tension device may be provided; preferably it canconsist of an arm xed to the connecting rod of the crank the end ofwhich has an eyelet through which the thread can pass in order to avoidthe employment of driven parts.

Owing to the presence of this tension device and as a result of theangular displacement of the connecting rod, the eyelet is displacedrelatively to another or several other eyelets which are Xed to theslay.

As regards the third variant of construction of the conveying member(Figures 8 to 10), this is constituted also of a metal sheet with bentover edges 2 and 3, with this difference that the middle part I facesthe fell of the cloth.

Above the branches 2 and 3 and in the median plane or approximately sois arranged a needle II, which is xed to the metal sheet by its end inany suitable way, the other end having an eyelet I2, through which theweft thread is threaded permanently; this eyelet, which is situatedabove the clamp, constituting the point of support for the thread, theeyelet being of any shape and dimensions and assuming, if necessary, theshape of a slot.

The advantage of the point of support, formed by the eyelet I2 at theend of the needle II, is that certain delicate warps are submitted toless hardship, in View of the fact that the metal sheet of the conveyingmember is of much reduced dimensions and no longer has to overlap theclamp of the pulling needle at'the moment of the exchange of the weftthread.

In the event where the threading of the thread is not to be permanent,the eyelet I2 may be replaced by a notch, the bottom of which will formthe point of support for the thread.

It is to be understood that, in the forms of construction given above,the metal sheet which forms the conveying needle may be perforated asmuch as may be necessary, with a view, among other purposes, to areduction of the weight.

With regard to the first variant of construction of the pulling member,(Figures 11 to 14), which is equally applicable to the form ofconstruction of the conveying needle described in the patent mentionedabove, as with the variants before described, this variant, which hasbeen devised with a view to eiecting the exchange of the thread at themoment of the meeting of the two needles, is constituted, as in the formof construction described in the application of patent mentioned above,of a fork with two prongs which terminate the pulling needle, one ofwhich, I3, with its point I4, prolongs the surface of the needle facingthe reed and acts as a protector, whilst the other itself is formed as afork, with the characteristic that the prong, l5, is rigid, whilst theother, I6, is springy.

The springy prong I6 is shaped in such a fashion that the releasingblade moves it aside when this latter is still at a certain distancefrom the point at which the thread is maintained between the springyprong and the rigid prong.

The end of the springy prong I 6 is reduced in width so as to provide agap between its inner edge and a part for threading and holding so as tofacilitate the threading, in the said part, of the end of the weftthread taken from the conveying needle at the moment when the twoneedles meet.

This part, which is situated on the inner edge of the rigid prong I5,and close to its end, comprises a sort of beading I'l like the :liangeof a rail, of solid metal, which is prolonged at the lower bead part bya flat projection forming a support I8, the edge of which is xed on therigid prong I5. The lower forward face of this beading is furnished witha recess IS into which enters freely the point of a hook 20 of saw-toothshape, which is held by its base on the rigid prong I5.

As a result of this form of construction the floating end of the weftthread runs no risk of remaining in the selvedge in the form of a loop;in addition to this, whilst working with a minimum of tension, it ispossible to obtain a selvedge as short as may be desired, whatever mayselvedge and is within a few centimetres from it,

the releasing and cleaning blade! moves the springy prong It away fromthe rigid prong I5, thus releasing the end of the weft thread which isgripped thereby.

As the pulling member continues its movement out of the shed, the end ofthe weft thread slides along the length of the tooth 20 and turns roundit, thus preventing it from looping itself in the selvedge.

259 The second form of construction of the pulling member, (Figures 15to 17) which is also applicable to all thev forms of the conveyingneedles previously described, hasA been devised with` a view toeffecting the exchange of the thread when the needles separate. It isconstituted in similar fashion to the rst form of construction abovedescribed, with this difference, however, that the end of the springyprong I6 is not reduced in width and that the retaining member Il lisreplaced by 35* a hook instead, which moreover may be` trans.- formedinto a threading meinberinthe spirit of the first form ofconstructionabove described.

With a view to the catching ofthe thread lwhen the needle recedes, theend'of the rigid prong -IIS` has an edge Ia bent at right angles on theside which faces the reed, the opposite edge being cut away so as topresent a notch |55 with the shape` of a hook |50, the extremetipoffwhich is-bent' back slightly below the plane of the said prong.

With this form of construction, the exchange ofthe thread takes place asfollows:

When this pulling needle meets a conveying needle similar to one orother of the forms of construction described, the thread, which isstretched between the point of supportand the springy clamp 4, comesinto contact along the edge of the hook I5@ and falls into the notchIilb.`

As soon as theV two needles recede, the part of the thread which vissituated between thehook and the point of support lodges in the bottomof the notch |512 and is drawn under the pulling member, approximatelyin the axis. of the whole; whilst that part cf the thread which issituated between the hook and the springy clamp 4 of the conveyingmember passes under the springy prong I6 which holds it so `as to drawthe thread out ofthe said clamp 4.

When the needle `reaches a few centmetros from the selvedge, thereleasing blade 2| moves the springy prong IB- awaytl:ius` allowing thethread to slide, as itpasses,` along the notch and turning round it, thesaid thread being thus prevented from looping itself in the selvedge.

Itis to be observed that with this type of pulling needle it is possibleto omitthe protecting prong I3, which slides along the reed, andconsequently to alter, among other things, the margin I5a.

By the use of these two forms'of construction of pulling needles, itresults that they work in the thread is exerted, in such a way that,when once the exchange has been completed, the thread commencing withits end, is rst maintained be-` tween the springy prong and the rigidprong and is then supported by the retaiingfpoint.

(b) At the moment of the release, the releasing blade moves the springyprong away fromxthef` rigid prong of the fork, thus releasing the threadWell before its. arrival at the place where the said threadis maintainedby the said springy prong, thus securing the unthreading of the endthread round the retaining point. l

Thislmethod of operation may be obtained by other forms of` constructionof the pulling members; in the same way it is to be understood that,without departing from the spirit of the invention, alterations,improvements, and additions may'be introduced, aswell as the employmentof equiva-` lent .means i For example: the pulling clamp may besupported by the protecting branch I3, to which it would be connected bysuitably arranged supports which may be springy or not, so as to allowthe needle l I having the eyelet I2 to pass between them according tothe third form of construction of the conveyingrnember. i l

In order to advance the moment when'the branches of the clamp of thepulling member are moved aside by the releasing blade, small bosses maybe `providedon one or on both of the inner faces of the prongs.

`In the same way, in the place of and instead of the releasing blade,`it would be possible to makel use of external bosses or stops fulllingthe'same purpose.

Again, it is possible to substitute, for the springy fork of the pullingneedles, aclamp formed asa kind of hairpinwith a raised head so as toalloy of the passage of the releasing blade, thefturned up part of thehead-of the hairpin holding and conveying, during unthreading, the endof the thread out ofthe selvedge. i I In certain cases the rigid prongof the pullingY member may also be springy. Similarly, it will bepossible to provide thread-i ing andholding members, disposed on therigid prong, on each side of the end of thespringyr`- prong, arrangedfor this purpose. i

"When it is necessary to clean the clamp of the conveying member, itwill be possible toarrange a cleaning blade outside the entry selvedge;the said `mernber being suitably arranged forthepurpose, or to make useof a blade mounted upon the pulling member in such a way that it `willenter into the conveying clamp as soon as the pulling clamp has taken asuiiicient hold ofthe thread, this blade having besides the advantage ofassisting the threads to leavethe conveying clamp without effort whenweaving with d`eli,``

` cate threads. It is further to be understoodthat,

as regards the conveying members and also the pulling members, they maybe made, in ,wholefor in part, of. moulded material y(metal, plasticorotherwise) instead `oibeing made of sheet metal as stated above.`

Inthedevice constructed in-laccordancc with the principles` oi thepresent I invention, the threading of the end of weft thread 9- takesplace between ther threadfclamp `d; and is `unthreaded of the every timethe pulling needle takes Vit off to convey it outside the right selvedgeof the shed.

As shown in Figure 1, when the thread 9, stretched between the bottom la(point of support) of the notch 'I and the clamp 4, is taken oi by theclamp I5, I6 of the pulling needle, said thread is unthreaded from theclamp 4 as the pulling needle goes back towards the right selvedge andis then stretched between the clamp I5, I6 and the bobbin.

As shown in Figures 4, 8, and 10, when the thread 9, stretched betweenthe bottom Illa of the rectilinear opening Il! or of the circularopening or eyelet I2, and the clamp 4, is taken off by the clamp I5, I6of the pulling needle, said thread is unthreaded from the clamp 4, andthe pulling needle goes back toward the right selVedge, but it stillremains passed through the opening I 0, abutting against its fore endnear the point Ib, or through the eyelet I2.

Since the conveying needle proceeds rearwardly in relation to the leftselvedge, the edge of the" fore end of slot II) or the edge of theeyelet I2 will rub and glide along the thread 9 stretched between thebobbin and the clamp I5, I 6 of the pulling needle which is runningtoward the right selvedge.

When the pulling needle has reached itsl destination, out of the rightselvedge of the shed, and the conveying needle is out of the shed infront of the left selvedge, the pick having been beaten up by the sley,the thread stands stretched between the left point of the fell of thecloth and the bobbin, passing through the slot III and abut- 65therefore, the end of said thread also emerges ting against its foreend, or passing through the eyelet I2.

When the conveying needle enters again into the shed for a next pick,the clamp 4 seizes this stretched thread 9.

The advantage is that when Weaving line threads, they are not rubbed bythe edges of the notch I (Figure 2) and therefore do not run the risk ofbeing worn out or cut.

The provision of the member I'I, I8, I9, 20 has for its purpose tocompel the thread caught between the prongs I5, I6 of the springy clampof the pulling needle (Figs. 11 and 14) not to glide or slip freelybetween said prongs I5, I6 when the needle arrives at the end of itsreceding stroke.

'The 'inconvenience of the free slipping was that the end of the threadwas freed from the clamp too early, and, therefore, it remained withinthe selvedge in a wavy or scrolled state, the end of the thread notextending outside the selvedge, and consequently making faults.

Due to the provision of the member II, I8, I9, 20,v the end of thethread when the pulling needle emerges from the shed is compelled toturn around said member or to rub against it, somewhat like a ropearound a capstan or a bollard, with a snubbing action.

Then the end of the thread, although freed from the clamp, is compelledto unwind itself Whilst the needle is emerging from the shed, and

from the shed and is left pending outside the selvedge.

, What I claim is:

l. In looms of the type having a reed and a pair of reciprocable needlesmovable toward and away from one another for laying the pick in the sheda conveying member forming the end of one of the needles, said memberhaving one part forming the side facing the reed and another 75l' partforming a continuation of the first-mentioned part and having a shorterand a longer side, the second-mentioned part comprising a pair ofprongs; a resilient clamp situated between said prongs, and a cuttingblade situated between said prongs, the front edge of one of said prongsprojecting beyond the front edge of the other prong, the first-mentionedpart having its Width reduced for a part of its length so as to form apoint projecting beyond said longer side; an opening having the form ofa notch being formed in the first-mentioned part approximately at theheight of said shorter side, the bottom of said notch forming a point ofsupport for the thread.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the part of theconveying member facing the reed has an opening having the form of aslot, and wherein the front edges of the part forming the prongsv areshaped in such a way as to form a notch between the point of the partfacing the reed and the fell of the fabric, said notch leading thethread between'the branches of the resilient clamp.

3. In looms of the type having a reed and a pair of reciprocable needlesmovable toward and away from one another for laying the pick in the sheda conveying member forming the end of one of the needles, said memberhaving one part forming the side facing the reed and another partforming the continuation of the first-mentioned part and having ashorter and a longer side, the second-mentioned part comprising a pairof prongs; a resilient clamp situated between said prongs, the frontedge of one of said prongs projecting beyond the front edge of the otherprong, the first-mentioned part having its width reduced for a part ofits length so as to form a point projecting beyond said longer side, anda needle having one end attached to said conveying member and anotherend forming an eyelet situated between said prongs and the reed, an edgeof said eyelet constituting a point of support for the thread betweenthe resilient clamp and the reed.

4. In looms of the type having a reed and a pair of reciprocable needlesmovable toward and away from one another for laying the pick in the sheda conveying member forming the end of one of the needles, said memberhaving one part forming the side facing the reed and another partforming a continuation of the first-mentioned part and having a shorterand a longer side, the second-mentioned part comprising a pair ofprongs; a resilient clamp situated kbetween said prongs, a cutting bladesituated between said prongs, the front edge of one of said prongsprojecting beyond the y front edge of the other prong, thefirst-mentioned part having its Width reduced for a part of its lengthso as to form a point projecting beyond said longer side, and a needleintegral with the conveying member, said needle having an opening in theform of a notch, the bottom of which constitutes a support for thethread.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, Wherein the parts of the edgesof the prongs facing the fell of the cloth are so limited as to permitthe mounting of the cutting blade in such position that said bladepasses closely to the fell of the clothl 6. In looms of the type havinga reed and a pair of reciprocable needles movable toward and away fromone another for laying the pick in the shed a pulling member carried byone of said needles for the exchange of the thread when the needlesmeet, comprising a fork having two prongs, one of said prongs beingresilient and the f other rigid, a member for retaining and untwistingthe thread, said member being situated close to the end of one of saidprongs and comprising a beading and a support provided at its lower rearpart and attaching it to the last-mentioned prong, the lower forwardface of the beading having a recess; and a tooth fixed to said prongs,said tooth projecting into said recess.

'1. In looms of the type having a reed and a pair of reciprocableneedles movable toward and away from` one another for laying the pick inthe shed a pulling member carried by one of said needles for theexchange of the thread, comprising a fork having two resilient prongs, amember for retaining and untwisting the thread, said member beingsituated close to the end of one of said prongs and comprising a.beading and a support provided at its lower rear part and attaching itto the prong, the lower forward face of the beading having a recess; anda tooth xed to said prongs, said tooth projecting into said recess.

8. In looms having a reed, a supply bobbin and a pair of reciprocableneedles movable toward and away from one another for laying the pick inthe shed, a conveyor member forming the end of one of said needles, saidmember comprising two branches, forming a pair of prongs, a resilientclamp situated between said prongs, and means carried by said conveyormember upon that surface thereof which faces the reed, said meansforming a support for the weft thread stretched between said clamp andthe supply bobbin.

9. In loomsv having a reed, a supply bobbin and a pair of reciprocableneedles movable toward and away from one another for laying the pick inthe shed, a conveyor member forming the end of one of said needles, saidmember comprising two branches, one of said branches forming a pair ofprongs, a resilient clamp situated between said prongs, and meanscarried by said conveyor member upon that surface thereof which facesthe reed, said means having edges constituting an opening and supportingthe weft thread stretched between the clamp and the supply bobbin.

10. In looms having a pair of reciprocable needles movable toward andaway from one another for laying the pick in the shed, a conveyor memberforming the end of one of said needles, said member comprising twobranches forming a. pair of prongs, a resilient clamp situated betweensaid prongs and a cutting blade situated between said prongs.

11. In looms, in combination with a pair of reciprocable needles movabletoward and away from one another for laying the pick in the shed andpassing each other substantially in the middle of the shed; a conveyormemberfcarried by one of said needles, and a pulling member carried bythe other one of said needles, said pulling member comprising twobranches constituting a prong adapted to grip the weft held by theconveyor member when said pulling member meets said conveyor member, andpull the weit through said shed on the return movement of the pullingmember.

12. In looms having a pair of reciprocable needles movable toward andaway from one another ior laying the pick in the shed, a conveyor memberand a pulling member carried by separate needles and constructed tocooperate, said pulling member comprising two branches adapted togripthe weft held by said conveyor member and pull it through said shedon the return movement of the pulling member, and means on one of saidbranches for retaining and untwisting the weft thread.

1B. In looms of the type having a shed and a pair of reciprocableneedles moving toward and away from each other for laying the pick inthe shed, a pulling member carried by one of said needles and comprisinga fork for the exchange of thread when the two needles after having metin the shed move away from each other, one of the prongs of said forkhaving two prongs, one

of said last-mentioned prongs being resilient and the other rigid, saidrigid prong having an end which is raised at a right angle and whichextends closely and parallel to the corresponding end of the resilientprong, the opposite edge of said rigid prong being notched to form ahook :1

the dent of which is situated somewhat below the plane of the rigidprong.

14. In looms of the type having a shed and a pair of reciprocableneedles moving toward and away from each other for laying the pick inthe shed, a pulling member carried by one of said needles and comprisinga fork for the exchange of thread when the two needles meet in the shed,one of the prongs of said fork having two prongs gripping the thread,and a releasing blade engaging the last-mentioned prongs and moving themapart to begin to free the thread before said pulling member leaves theshed, said prongs being so shaped that they are moved apart by thereleasing blade before it reaches the thread gripped by the prongs.

15. In looms of the type having a reed, a shed, and a pair ofreciprocable needles moving toward and away from each other for layingthe pick in the shed, a pulling member carried by one of said needlesand comprising a fork for the exchange of thread when the two needlesmeet in the shed, said fork having a protecting prong, a holding prong,and supports integral with said protecting prong and supporting saidholding prong, said protecting prong sliding along said reed, and aneedle carried by the other one of the first-mentioned needles andadapted to penetrate between said supports.

RAYMOND DEWAS.

